1. Field of the Invention
This invention is related to the field of systems and methods for preventing and/or deterring the unauthorized duplication of digital information, for example, digital information having originally been distributed on optical media.
2. Description of the Related Art
The electronic publishing industry, which publishes application software, computer games, appliance-console games, movies, and music on optical media is facing a growing and serious problem; namely, the piracy, unauthorized modification, and use of content. Since digital content itself is in essence a sequence of binary 1's and 0's, it may often be copied exactly, wherein a copy of these “bits” is identical in every way to the original, and since the tools to do so are increasingly available, the industry is facing ever-increasing losses. Such losses may include the unauthorized duplication of a unit of optical media containing a game, a word processing program, an E-Book, a movie, or musical content.
There are a number of mechanisms available that may be used to limit or prevent unauthorized access to digital content, and many approaches related to optical media manufacturing, modification, and protection thereof. The most popular among these methods include methods that insert data errors into the media at the time of manufacture by producing actual bit patterns that are technically out of conformance with published standards and specifications (such as those set by Philips Corporation in their CD specification documents sometimes referred to as the “Redbook”, “OrangeBook”, and other industry-standards-book names), and therefore in theory cannot be reproduced by copying processes or devices if those devices or processes are themselves specification conformant. However, such approaches are limited in that they do not take into account that while these bit patterns are not officially sanctioned and not specification conformant, that is a matter of unenforceable voluntary specification compliance. Even as recently as a few years ago most device manufacturers were in fact trying very hard to be specification conformant, and most copy software was also conformant, so these protective inventions were effective for a period of time, until a realization was made that by making minor changes to devices and software, they could be made to copy nearly everything, even protected titles. This resulted in sales of more devices, more copying software, and of course more blank media, and such devices are not in any way illegal. Certain usage is, but that is the responsibility of the purchaser. A slippery slope of sorts, but piracy is ubiquitous and part of the reason why is that many segments of industry and society derive financial benefit from the act of piracy. Devices have intentionally been created which ignore these specification deviations, as have software programs dedicated to copying media such as the popular “BlindRead” and “CloneCD” software products. Examples of devices which deviate from the specifications are for example CD-R and CD-RW drives manufactured under the name “Lite-On” or “Liteon”, or devices made by industry giant “Plextor”, which are engineered to copy and reproduce all bits on a disc exactly, even those which do not conform to the specifications. Since the methods mentioned above rely on conformance to specifications and on industry consortia applying pressure to manufacturers and software companies to cause them to comply with the specifications, they are inherently flawed, because any number of such companies can, and have, carved themselves a perfectly legal market niche by doing just the opposite. If copying something is physically possible, then it will be copied and distributed. This is the significant challenge faced in this field; to create media that is inherently difficult or impossible to copy exactly in a manner that does not depend on voluntary compliance across a broad set of industries.